PUCK’s Matthew Belloni revealed his winners of the unofficial TV Upfronts Awards. The Belle of the Balls award goes to NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL, who was “featured like an A-list star, not an executive, in both the Netflix and YouTube presentations,” and “personally approved the football portions of the Fox, Disney, NBCU, and Amazon events.” The Biggest Flex award goes to Basketball HOFer MICHAEL JORDAN, who did not “show up at the NBCUniversal event despite the gasp-inducing announcement” that he is joining NBC Sports as a “special correspondent” for its NBA coverage. The Okay, Grandpa, Let’s Get You to Bed award goes to Cowboys owner JERRY JONES, whose introduction of the team’s cheerleaders show at the Netflix upfront “included a rambling preamble about how much money the Cowboys lost before he bought the team” and “how great it was to meet” former Fox News Corp Chair RUPERT MURDOCH. Winner of the Most Unfortunate Onstage Stunt award goes to former NFLer and Fox Sports analyst TOM BRADY, whose “errant pass” to former teammate ROB GRONKOWSKI at the network’s upfront “ended up beaning someone in the audience.” Runner-up of this award was Gronk, along with former NFLer JULIAN EDELMAN, who “both lost a tug-of-war against some fans in a lame MRBEAST stunt at the YouTube event” (PUCK, 5/16).
BATTLE CONTINUES: U.S. District Judge ANDREW P. GORDON last week dismissed Sparks F DEARICA HAMBY‘s lawsuit against the WNBA, but said that her litigation against the Aces over alleged mistreatment because of her pregnancy “could continue.” Hamby filed the suit in August that alleged the Aces “discriminated and retaliated against her,” resulting in her January 2023 trade to the Sparks. The league and club filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit in September (AP, 5/15).
HIGH HONORS: The Bay Area Sports HOF inducted its 2025 class on Thursday night. Inductees include former NFLer ERIC WRIGHT, American civil rights activist DR. HARRY EDWARDS, former soccer player ALEX MORGAN, former MLBer JOE RUDI, and former college basketball coach MIKE MONTGOMERY (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/15). Former NFLer SIMEON RICE will become the 16th member of the Bucs Ring of Honor (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/15). U.S. gymnast SIMONE BILES received an honorary degree in humane letters this week from Washington Univ. in St. Louis (K.C. STAR, 5/15).
NAMES: San Antonio Councilman MANNY PELAEZ “made a formal request” on Wednesday to rename San Antonio International Airport after longtime Spurs coach GREGG POPOVICH, who recently retired from the role to become the team’s president of basketball operations. It “often takes months” for such requests to weave through City Hall, and it is unclear when City Council “will take up the potential name change” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 5/15)....USC football coach LINCOLN RILEY was paid “more than” $11.5M in reportable compensation in 2023, according to the school’s latest federal tax returns. His $10.2M in base compensation “ranked No. 4 nationally” in 2023 (L.A. TIMES, 5/15)....Legendary wrestling commentator JIM ROSS announced he has been diagnosed with colon cancer and that he is scheduled to “have surgery within the next two weeks” (USA TODAY, 5/15)....Seen at Quail Hollow Thursday and Friday: SEC Commissioner GREG SANKEY, CAA’s MEGAN NICOL, Players Group Management’s ALLEN HOBBS, HyFlyers GM PETER DAVIS, GSE’s KEVIN CANNING, PNC’s KELBY KRAUSS, Excel Sports Management’s KEVIN HOPKINS (SBJ)
